THE THEATRE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 247, 11 July 1908, Page 12

THE THEATRE.

"The world's a theatre, the earth a stage."— Hoywood.

By Sylvius,

Important Attractions. The pantomime "Humpty-Dumpty" will follow the Rickards's Company in Auckland, and will play in Wellington from August 16 to 31. 'Mrs. Wiggs of tho Cabbage Patch" wil bo played for five nights in Wellington —from November 6to 12. It is understood that the "Royal Comics" will fill in the Christmas dates in Wellington with "Tho Merry Widow," "Tho Girls of Gottenberg," "The Dairymaids," 'etc. "Peter Pan" will say quaint things at tho Opera House from January 18 to 28, and Margaret Anglin is to thrill us from January 15 to February 6 next year. Margaret Anglin and Company. Margaret Anglin has been the chief topio of conversation in Sydney from the day she landed there, first because of the immense interest exhibited by playgoers in her Australian debut, and afterwards because of the tremendous impression she made at that debut on Saturday last (June 27). Of the most striking personality and beauty she dominated tho stage from the time she stepped on to' it. Evidently of a highly strung, nervous temperament with wonderful reserve of power behind her and a strength iu the portrayal of emotional scenes, sho held her vast audience spellbound in the many intense moments of "The Thief," the modern play by Henri Bernstein, which sho had chosen as her vehicle of introduction, and roused them again and again to salvos of genuine, whole-hearted applause, that evidenced all the timo how deeply sho had stirred them. In the tenderer passages she was again winsome and lovable, in the lighter moods bright and piquant to a degree —in short an actress, armed at all points, and well worthy to rank with the highest we have seen out hore. There was a packed house to wolcome her, and an indjeation of the anxiety to seo her may bo obtained from the fact that the booking was the biggest on record. The preliminary booking absorbing most of tho seats, while the rest of the house went as soon as the plan was opened to tho public. In support of Miss Anglin, Mr. J. C. Williamson has gathered together an extraordinary strong company—worthy of being billed as an "all-star" cast. Thore is Mr. Henry Kolker, the leading man, a graceful, polished actor, with, a strong individuality, and a wido training to help him sustain tho popularity that ho at onco achieved last Saturday. Next comes Mr. G. S. Titheradge, who needs no recommendation to Australian audiences. Thou there was Miss Eugene Besserer, another widelyknown American actress, and fourthly comos Miss Susio Vaughan, first in her lino as the grando dame on tho Australian stage, with two young and promising actors in Messrs. Sydney Stirling and Dion Titheradgo to complete the cast. It will be welcome news to many lovers of the drama to learn that Miss Anglin and her distinguished company will make a tour of tho Dominion. According to present arrangements Miss Anglin will open in Auckland on Boxing Night, and will play in Wellington from February 15 to March 6. " Poter' Pan." ("To enjoy Mr. Barrio's play thoroughly wo must forgot wo havo ever grown up.") Across tho hills thero comes a note, Faint, crystal, clear, and true. . 'Tis Peter playing on his pipes, Summoning me and you Back- to the Land of Lot's Pretend, When all tho world was new. Tho veil wo thought forever down; Shutting our yearning gaze Out of tho long-forgot delights Of childhood's glowing days: Lifts to tho call and tempts us forth Along tho golden ways. Again wo pace purposedly Some scene from fairy lore: Again wo seek some high emprise Culled from the, precious store Of boyhood's books, till each becomes I A little child onco more. ■ Fate, fearful of our discontent, Has placed on us a ban: Forbidding us tho Dear Dream Days Of memory's page to scan; But you—you gavo us back our youthGod bless you, Peter Pan. Barrio's New Play. A London theatrical writor says of Mr. Barrio's now play:—"Tho piece is a comedy of the prosont day, and somo of the chief characters will be Scotch, but , none of them speak any dialect. Thoy havo the 'accent' of tho Scot in London, nothing more, and the audience will be supposed to know thoy are Scotch by- the things they do —tho author'B view being that in given circumstances Scotch aud English would act quite differently, and that, though thoy were dumb, you would know their nationality by thoir difforent ways of crossing a road. , Tho Scot, Mr. Barrio holds, is an eternal surprise to the Englishman, and the Englishman to tho Scot, and the now play will be a 'hopeless aittompt' to make them understand each other. Mr. Barrie's now pieco deals with the greatest of all the social probloms: 'Which ' is: tho right woman to marry?'' Should a man know her well before marriage,, or wait to know her well afterwards? Is thoro.a case on. record of his ever knowing her well at all, and'if thsro is one such ease —namely, tho gentleman of (lie play—would he not have been moro comfortable had he, like tho rest of us, remained in ignorance?" , . Notes. . • Mr. Louis Nethorsole, brother of Miss Olga Nethersole, is acting a; representative for Miss Anglin in front of the house. This would seem to indicate that over and above a guaranteed salary tho American actress has an interest in tho show. "You ought to be thankful you were not born with a hare lip"—Mrs Wiggs to Miss Hazy in "Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch."There is possibly a limit to theatrical enterprise, _ and poor Mr. Kingston—we use the qualifying phraso advisedly—must have very nearly reached it when riding through the streets of Perth in a motor-car, and scattering £20's worth of small coin amongst an expectant crowd, as an advertisement for "Brewster's Millions." The now game, as the football reporter sometimes observes, was of "a scrambling character." A good plan on such occasions islto tako out your largest umbrella and carry it open and revorsed. Alexandre Dumas is responsible for the following:—On his first visit to the Salon, his attention was called to tho superb portrait of the ethereally thin Sarah Bernhardt as L'Etrangoro with her great Russian greyhound lying at her feet. "Ah, yes, I seo," ho said, thoughtfully; "a dog keeping guard ovor a bono." Although "Tho Prince of Pilscn" has mot with such succoss at tho Sydney Theatre Royal, its run is destined to bo a short one. Judging by tho way the theatre has boon filled by appreciative audiences night after night over since its Australian premiere, it is quite reasonable to suppose that tho sparkling -musical comody would have been strong enough to hold tho boards for somo considerable time yet. Howevor, tho management decided to givo tho Sydney theatregoing public an opportunity of seoing tho company in anothor Amjrican musical production —"The Red Mill" —before tho company depart for a lengthy absence. Victor Herbert is answerable for tho score in tho now musical comedy, wliilo tho book and lyrics aro by Henry Blossom, and in America tho piece enjoys as great a popularity as "The Prince of Pilson." The story concorns tho oscapades of two American tourists in Holland, and tho Dutch environment lends itself to somo excellent mounting and stage effects. The musio also is oxcoptionally catchy and tuneful, and tho dialogue smart and witty. Mr. William Pitt, M.L.C., tho architect of William Anderson's now thoatro, " Tho King's," in Russell Street, Melbourne, has built practically overy notable theatre iu Australia. The Princess and Opera House (Melbourne), Her Majesty's (Sydney), and rebuilt both tho Theatre Royal and Her Majesty.'p, Melbourno,,